When you have rabbits and dogs as pets or even on the farm, you might wonder what that entails. One of the many things you must consider is what kind of animals pass certain infections, diseases, or sicknesses to each other.

It is essential to know these things as you may need to prepare for something more drastic, like treating all animals with certain medications and what protocols to utilize. In this specific instance, can rabbits infect dogs?

Traditionally, no one can fault someone for assuming that rabbit infections and maladies cannot cross-species leap to dogs. However, the truth is that rabbits can most definitely pass diseases to dogs and will if circumstances align themselves. Thankfully, there are several ways to prevent such an issue from occurring. However, you’ll need to know the scope of these issues to understand how to address them best and prevent them.

Owning multiple pets can sometimes leave you grasping at straws when it comes to keeping them safe from potential infections, eating dangerous foods, or understanding where certain boundaries and guidelines need to be drawn to keep them safe. Understanding these can make all the difference in preventing cross-species infections.

Further, very few pet owners are intricately aware of these topics. Still, despite the lack of common knowledge, the possibility of these events is very real and can have serious consequences on our furry friends if left untreated.

 

What Types of Illnesses and Diseases Can Rabbits Spread to Dogs?

 

Acknowledging that rabbits can spread everything from bacterial infections to different kinds of worms and even fevers is a keen part of understanding how you can help mitigate your pet’s chances of acquiring these issues. Unfortunately enough, even if you don’t directly own both pets, the possibility of these cross-contaminations is still on the table. Still, there are some quick-fix solutions you can embrace.

A few of these boil down to simply fencing in your yard and preventing your dog or rabbit from interacting with the other animals. Alternatively, you can actively separate the two from one another if you do own both pets. Either way, your overall lifestyle will need to be rearranged to accommodate these changes. While it may be a bit of a struggle initially, in time, these preventative measures will come second nature, and all of your pets will benefit from them in the long run.

1. Rabbit Fever (Tularemia)

 

The first and arguably the most concerning disease a dog can directly contract from a rabbit is tularemia or rabbit fever. This bacterial disease is problematic because it can be acquired from everyday interactions like common touch, sharing contaminated food or water, a simple bite from an insect on the rabbit, or even breathing near the infected animal.

Surprisingly enough, the issues don’t stop here. Your dog isn’t the only one susceptible to tularemia. Believe it or not, even people can get it. The symptoms are just as painful and harmful to people as to animals, so it isn’t something to take lightly.

 

How Do Dogs Get Tularemia?

 

As noted above, dogs can get tularemia from almost any interaction with an infected rabbit. Still, the more common route of acquiring this disease would be eating or drinking after an infected bun or coming into contact with a flea or other insect that has been infected and shares the infection with the dog via a bite.

If your dogs are used for hunting, they can also contract the disease when biting into tainted meat or eating the animal entirely. In most situations, we are speaking of domesticated pet infections. Still, it’s good to be knowledgeable about all possible vectors of transmission to ensure you minimize your pet’s chances of getting it.

 

What Are the Symptoms of Rabbit Fever in Dogs?

 

Among dogs, the symptoms are usually mild at best, with some circumstances leaving owners completely in the dark as to whether or not they ever knew their dog contracted it in the first place. As with all things in life, however, there are one-offs, and some of them include pups whose immune systems are weaker than normal or suffer from other underlying conditions that make these symptoms significantly more dangerous.

The most common symptoms are as follows:

 

• Stomach issues
• Dehydration
• A general lack of motivation when it comes to eating or drinking
• Lethargy at large
• A rampant fever that can seemingly creep up overnight
• Other visual signs are white patches on the tongue or even large skin ulcers.

 

It is good to be aware that most of these won’t be noticed immediately unless your dog is very young or already has something else going on.

Dogs with weaker immune systems can experience more dangerous symptoms. Things like organ failure or even enlarged organs have been documented, so getting your pet regularly checked out by a vet if you’ve noticed rabbits in the area or suspect them of being ill is paramount to keeping your pooch happy and healthy.

 

How Can You Treat Dogs Who Have Tularemia?

 

Thankfully, treatment for tularemia is relatively straightforward. Most veterinarians prescribe antibiotics to combat the bacteria and restore your pet to happy, tail-wagging behavior. As with all potentially cross-species-infecting maladies, you’ll want to double down on protecting yourself while trying to get your pet better, as humans are also susceptible to tularemia.

It might feel relatively mean to distance yourself from your animal when they are weak. They might react poorly to you not interacting with them as much during recovery.

Still, it is extremely important that you do not get yourself infected while attempting to cure them. Simple things like consistently washing your hands, immediately getting rid of any fecal waste, and being cautious are some of your safest bets on keeping a lid on the infection.

 

Ways to Prevent Your Dog From Getting Rabbit Fever

 

In truth, the best way to prevent your dog from getting tularemia is to observe your surroundings for signs that rabbits are becoming more common in your area. Do everything within your power to prevent your dogs from interacting with them.

In most cases, this means putting up fencing, keeping your dog on a leash, and keeping food and water sources isolated from outside so there is little to no chance of them consuming contaminated foods.

Suppose your domesticated rabbit has rabbit fever, for example, and your dog doesn’t. In that case, you will need to separate the two immediately. You will opt to wear gloves when interacting with your rabbit and keep them on their routine of antibiotics until the full round of treatment has passed. They are no longer displaying any signs or symptoms of the infection itself.

One of the easiest ways to avoid getting your dog infected in this particular scenario would be to have someone else spearhead feeding the dog(s) while one person handles all interactions with the rabbit, ensuring as little interaction as possible happens between the two. Regular baths for the dog might also be a good idea to ensure no fleas or other bugs can leap from the rabbit onto them.

 

2. Fleas

 

Fleas are innately annoying pests, to begin with. Still, they are also the heralds of many a disease and harbingers of grotesque viruses and other problems, so assaulting them when they crop up is your best bet in keeping a healthy household, flea collars on dogs, regular treatments for outside areas, and careful monitoring of your pets’ coats will alert you to an infestation of these cretins and allow you to get a handle on things before they get out of hand, or on your skin.

 

3. Leptospirosis

 

Enlarged scientific names aside, Leptospirosis is yet another bacterial infection most commonly derived from interactions with mice. Unfortunately, it can also infect dogs. When it does, your dog may be in physical pain due to muscle issues, fevers, vomiting, and general confusion and disorientation.

Even worse, this is another bacterial infection that can afflict humans. While the typical mantra that sharing is caring can ring true in most regards, you definitely don’t want this to be a bonding moment between you and your dog, as you’ll both need tandem visits to a doctor in order to get better again.

 

4. Ringworm

 

As with most worms, Ringworms can be acquired by directly ingesting them, either in contaminated food sources or water or, even more disgustingly, through fecal matter, which some dogs are very keen on dabbling in from time to time.

Regardless of how your pet may get these lengthy parasites, getting rid of them will usually require a visit to the vet to formally diagnose them, buying some over-the-counter dewormer, and following the strict guidelines on how to properly dispose of your dog’s feces to avoid any more contamination amongst your other animals or lingering threats on your property.

 

5. Intestinal Parasites

 

This is a more generalized approach than Ringworms, but this broadened scope applies to any possible intestinal parasites that can infect your dog. Certain ones can also infect you and your family. At the same time, it’s good to double down on the security efforts of most drinking water and foods. You’ll also want to explain to small children the dangers of letting the family dog lick them all over, specifically in the face, if they are potentially displaying signs of being infected.

 

Is It Safe to Have a Dog Around a Rabbit?

 

If you’ve taken the time to educate your dog that the rabbit is a pet, a family member, and not an easy food source, it’s almost safe to have them around the rabbit. But the truth is that nature happens, and when it does, the dog may not respond well to specific actions the rabbit is displaying or get keenly interested in the rabbit’s waste.

The former is a problem as it puts the rabbit’s life in danger, and the latter is an issue because the dog’s overall health could suffer if it becomes infected with any number of parasites or other problems with a simple interaction in passing.

Assuming both animals are taken care of, free of parasites and other infections, trained, and out of reach from one another, then yes, it is safe to have a dog around a rabbit. However, should any of those other metrics ring untrue, you may want to reconsider allowing them to come into contact with one another. 

 

Can Dogs Catch Snuffles From Rabbits?

 

Dogs can catch a myriad of infections and fevers from rabbits, so a dog can catch snuffles, sniffles, or a runny nose from a rabbit or even have an acute allergic reaction to them entirely in some instances, rare but not completely unheard of.

 

Is Bunny Poop Toxic to Dogs?

 

Although feces itself is not innately dangerous or considered toxic to dogs in general, consuming it can introduce a number of parasites, infections, bacteria, and other complications into the dog’s bloodstream and body, eventually becoming a health issue in the long run.

The general rule of thumb is to not allow your dog to casually eat any kind of poop if you can. The practice itself is rather disgusting and not exactly ideal, no matter how you view it. Most dogs are very liberal in licking people to show affection, so a poop lick is not exactly anyone’s idea of bonding with their dog.

 

What Are Some Ways to Keep Your Dog Healthy?

 

Keeping your dog active, out of harm’s way, and regulating its dietary needs with a balanced blend of nutritional supplements, meat, and strong interactions so it feels loved and content with its surroundings is paramount to keeping it spry and leading a long life.

Every sickness and infection can chip away at that. While these complications might not seem significant, they can mount into serious health concerns later in life, becoming more prominent when age and mobility decline.

Final Words

 

Although rabbits can indeed infect dogs and cause them to get sick, there is no need to panic as many medications for dogs will help them along the way and get them back to their happy-go-lucky selves once more! We also understand that it can be heart-wrenching if your animals are sick. However, thanks to the Internet and veterinarians, we can beat the illnesses and help our animals become healthier once more!